The known liver disease, Hepatitis A is about to be an epidemic in California. The cause is said to be related to the rise of homelessness in the state, from San Diego to Sacramento.

According to Breitbart, the fatalities are already at 17 since November of last year, which is when the outbreak was first reported in the San Diego area. Meanwhile, at least 569 people have been infected by the said virus and that number looks to be growing as well.

One of the reasons for this possible epidemic is the homeless population that is growing in the area along with the rise of drug trade and prostitution. Some are also blaming the fact that most of San Diego's cities are no longer allowing plastic bags, which made it hard for homeless people to dispose of their own waste since bathrooms are not always available to them.

It has been 14 years since the last Hepatitis A outbreak in Pennsylvania, which took the lives of eight people with 900 other reported cases.

Symptoms include having a high fever, muscle pain and jaundice. It is noteworthy to state that should the suspected patient show early signs of Hepatitis A, it is a must to consult a doctor immediately. Dawdling on this situation can cause death.

The good news is that there are vaccines for Hepatitis A that can prevent anyone from suffering from the said disease. These vaccines started back in 1995 and since then, the rate of people getting infected has been low.

As of the moment, the state of California is doing their best to deal with homeless people by creating tent communities for them to have a safer place to stay. So far, there are now cities in California that allow them to be in public areas where they can build tents to sleep in at night.